Baylor’s Isaiah Austin will declare for NBA Draft

Baylor 7-foot-1 center Isaiah Austin made it official Tuesday when he decided to leave school after his sophomore season and declare for the NBA Draft.

The former Arlington Grace Prep product averaged 11.2 points and 5.5 rebounds and led the Big 12 with 119 blocked shots. He was a vital cog in Baylor’s 26-12 team that advanced to the NCAA West Region semifinals before losing to Wisconsin in the round of 16.

“Our coaching staff really enjoyed working with Isaiah for his two years at Baylor University, and we want to thank him for his tremendous contributions to Baylor basketball,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “His versatility and defensive prowess helped us win an NIT Championship and make a Sweet 16 appearance. He’s a tremendous player and a great role model in the community, and we look forward to watching him as he takes the next step to the NBA.”

Austin played in 73 games over his two-year Baylor career, averaging 12.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 28.9 minutes per game. Austin led Baylor to a 2013 NIT Championship and the NCAA tournament this season, helping the Bears to accumulate 49 victories over his two seasons in Waco.

NBA scouts are a little mixed in their assessment of his skills. Some like his outside shooting touch and defensive abilities. But others wonder if he might be too frail to stand up to the pounding in the paint in the NBA.

ESPN.com draft analyst Chad Ford ranked Austin as his 50th best prospect for the upcoming draft. Ford projected that Austin would be a late second-round draft pick or could go undrafted.

Here’s a look at Austin making the announcement official on this You Tube video.